


Journey to the Distant Shore 13: By the Sea, the Beautiful Sea

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-28
Updated: 2003-08-28
Packaged: 2019-04-27 06:39:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14419722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: Mulder and Scully unearth files and records needed to  fight the future.





	Journey to the Distant Shore 13: By the Sea, the Beautiful Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

 

By the Sea, the Beautiful Sea

## By the Sea, the Beautiful Sea

### by Pattie

Journey to the Distant Shore: Part 13/? From: Title: By the Sea, the Beautiful Sea.  
Author: Pattie  
Rated: PG  
Spoilers: Seasons 1 through 9, The Truth, William. Categorization: MA, SA, MSR.  
Summary: At Mulder's father's home in West Tisbury, Mass., memories are stirred and some things stored are unearthed. Disclaimers: Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox Studios own the rights to The X-Files, the characters, previous plot lines, even the plam (pointy little alien murderer. See, I remembered!)  
Archive: Yes.  
Feedback : Strokes or gripes, I read and consider both. 

West Tisbury, Mass.,  
Home of the Late William Mulder. 

Mulder and Scully exited Scully's car and circled the house hand-in-hand for awhile. Because she knew the place had an effect on him, Scully allowed Mulder his silence as he contemplated everything that led him to that moment. He was vaguely aware of Scully as his mind ran reel after reel of his memories of the place. 

"So. This is your place to live from now on?" Fourteen and hurting, Fox was visiting his father for the first time after he had moved out of the home he had shared with Teena Mulder. 

"Yes, Fox. I know it's been hard on you, but this is for the best. Your mother and I, we grew apart." 

"You don't love each other any more?" Fox was kicking fallen leaves around he walkway near the front of the house. "Is that why?" 

"There are things... we will always have love for each other. We're not divorcing you, Fox. This is just the best way we can live. No more shouting. I know you heard us fight. You didn't need that." 

"I need both of you, Dad. I miss doing things together. When Samantha and me were ...well, never mind. We always had fun in the summertime." 

"Fox, hold on to the good memories. Let them carry you through. Someday, you'll need them to sustain you." 

"Why?" 

"Oh, sometimes we run into future problems. I think the future is coming far too quickly for my liking." 

"The future. You keep talking about it like bad things are gonna happen. Why?" 

"Parents prepare their kids for life, son. Now, go wash up. Turn on some T.V. I'll be fixing supper in a while." Before young Fox could run off, Bill Mulder said, "Wait," and hugged his son tightly, it seemed as if apprehensively. "You're too mature for your age." 

Present-day Fox finally spoke. "He was preparing me all those years, Scully. He knew I'd pry, spy, investigate everything. And he was right. He knew I'd run into things only a writer could imagine. But he kept Samantha's betrayal so secret." 

"I'm so sorry. You must have had a full plate for a teenager, and carrying it all those years..." 

"Led me to you. That's a good thing, isn't it?" 

"Yes, Mulder, it is. I must say this place is beautiful! So quiet and yet so alive. Flowers, trees, lovely lawns. The house looks well-kept. Not even a broken window. Great paint job, too." 

"Neighbours do me favours. It went to Mom, then to me. Want to go in?" 

"I'd love to see it, Mulder! Any of your old records or toys inthere?" 

"No. Why you'd think that I'll never know. There is the odd Mad mag. hanging around, I guess." Mulder's key still worked. "Welcome to my legacy. Tastefully decorated New England-style. And see this writing desk? VERY old. He opened one of the drawers, and Scully was as shocked as Mulder. 

"One of those!" 

"Yes, Scully... one... of... I wonder if he had one around when I was younger. Nothing like self-defense." 

"And your mother kept one, too. For so long, they lived in fear. Do you fear them, Fox?" Scully put her hand on his shoulder. 

"I have a 'healthy respect' for them, as you do. Fear, well I guess it was designed to ensure our survival. Let's get the shovels out and get to work." 

Their digging yielded quite the cache of files, pictures, documents from various government departments, and files that Mulder and Scully had duplicated and hidden many times to preserve their work from fires, floods, Krycheks and aliens. Statements from abductees, on tape and transcribed, computer disks,even Mulder's regularly up-dated duplicate hard drive all neatly hidden away until this time. A time when they would need them. 

"Scully, you're the greatest!" Mulder hugged her as if it was Christmas. "You kept more than I asked you to." 

As Scully hugged him back and kissed his lips, she felt so much brighter than she had in weeks. "Mulder, don't you know by now that I give 150 percent in all I do for you? ONLY for YOU?" 

"I do. I just feel..." 

"Like you don't deserve it, I know. I could always tell by your stutters, the way you would look at your shoes. You shunned love for so long, afraid of hurt and loss all over again. That's no way to live. We'd better get this stuff inside. It's getting dark." 

"We're staying awhile, Scully." 

"I want to." 

As Mulder picked up one box, a picture fell to the ground. Scully bent down to pick it up and gasped. "Look." 

"The Consortium my father belonged to. And yes, there are several men we came across during our years together, Scully. A few are alive. My Dad kept their contact information, but we might need to do some updating on his notes. Cheer up. We can play "office" in the house this time. Instead of the other way around." 

"We need to keep our eyes open," Scully warned him. "We have no guns, no federal authority behind us..." 

"But we have what it takes. We've got 'the right stuff'!" 

"Yes. We have each other's strength. And, we have William to think of." 

As the twilight sky grew ever darker, all boxes, bags, and necessities were safely in the house. Behind locked doors in front of a a fire, Dana and Fox snuggled under an afghan and contemplated their next moves. 

* * *

Yes, their next moves. To begin in Part 14/? 

Pattie.   
  


#### If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Pattie


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